Railway-switch.



PATENTED NOV. 13

J. BIGGS. RAILWAY SWITCH.

Arruoumn nun JULYB. 1900.

THE NORRIS PETERS cm, WASHINGTON,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES BIGGS, OF FONTANET, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO WILLIAM P. BOATMAN AND ONE-FOURTH TO HARRISON J. LAMBERT,

OF FONTANET, INDIANA.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ratented Nov. 13, 1906.

T0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES BIGGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fontanet, in the county of Vigo and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railway-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention pertains to railway-switches; and it contemplates the provision of a simple, inexpensive, and compact switch constructed with a view of afiording a solid and continuous rail irrespective of whether the switch is set for a clear main track or for a siding and of permitting a train to freely pass from the siding to the main track in both positions of the switch and one having means for adjusting the switch-points and the frog of such construction that the springs are strongly held when the same are subjected to pressure incident to the passing of a train from the siding out on the. main line.

Other advantageous characteristics of my invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims when the same are read in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view illustrating the switch-points and the frog of my novel switch as set for a siding. Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section taken in the plane indicated by the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrow, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section taken in the plane indicated by the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Similar letters designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings, referring to which- A A are the sleepers or ties of a railway.

B is a continuous and unbroken maintrack rail fixed to the sleepers or ties in the ordinary manner or in any other manner compatible with the purpose of my invention.

C and C are the sections of the other maintrack rail, which are arranged with a space between them, as illustrated, and are fixed to the sleepers or ties.

D is the inner siding or turnout rail, which is also fixed to the sleepers or ties, and E is the outer siding or turnout rail, which is fixed to the sleepers or ties and merges, by preference, into the section C of one main-track rail. The inner turnout-rail D and the sec tion C of one main-track rail have their adjoining ends arranged on a metallic plate F, fixed on sleepers or ties, and said rails are provided in their inner sides adjacent to the said ends with recesses at. These recessesa are designed to alternately seat a tongue I), extending rearward from the fulcrum-point c of a horizontally-swinging frog G, which is mounted on the plate F. The ends of the rail D and the rail-section C are also rounded, as indicated by (i, so as to conform to rounded shoulders 6, provided at the heel of the frog. From this construction it follows that in both positions of the frog the tongue 6 thereof will bear against the inner side of one of the rails and in the recess thereof, while one shoulder of the frog will bear against the end of one rail, with the result that the frog forms a continuation of the said rail. At its under side the frog G is flanged, as indicated by f and shown in Fig. 2, and its forward portion is disposed over a fixed plate H, which is provided with side flanges g and a transverselyextending slot h. At opposite sides of the said flange-plate H stops or abutments I are fixed to one sleeper or tie, the said stops or abutments having for their office to assist the flanges of the plate H in limiting the movement of the frog and in supporting the frog incident to the passage of a train.

J J are h0rizontallyswinging switchpoints pivoted to the plate H and having beveled forward ends arranged to bear against the rail-section C and the main-track rail B, respectively. The said points J and J are fixedly connected together through the medium of a cross-bar K, so as to assure the points moving as one piece.

L is a horizontally-swinging bell-crank mounted on one of the sleepers or ties.

M is a transverse rod connected to one arm of said bell-crank and having a shoulder 76 at an intermediate point of its length and also having a toe Z arranged at its end remote from the bell-crank and engaged with'one of the flanges f of the frog G.

N is a rod movable on and with respect to the rod M and having a toe engaged with the other flange f of frog G and also having a shoulder, and-P is a coiled spring surrounding the rods M and N and interposed between the shoulder k of the former and the shoulder of the latter. By virtue of this construction it will be apparent that when the switch is set for a clear main track and a train passes from the siding into the main track the spring P and the rod N will permit the frog G to move on and with respect to the rod M so as to enable the frog to assist rather than interfere with the described passage of the train. It will be noted, however, in this con nection that when the frog is set for a clear main-track the rod M, the spring P, and the rod N will hold the frog firmly against the abutment I remote from the bell-crank L.

R is a horizontal rotary spur-gear mounted on a suitable sup ort at the outer side of the main-track rail 1 and having an upwardly extending portion S.

T is a rod interposed between and connecting the spur-gear R and the outer arm of the bell-crank L.

U is a rod pivotally connected to the spurear R and having a toe 1" engaging one of the anges f of the switch-point J and also having a shoulder s at an intermediate point of its length.

V is a rod movable on the rodU and having a toe to engage the other flange f of switchpoint J and also having a shoulder, and W is a coiled spring surrounding the rods U and V and interposed between the shoulders of the same. This construction serves when the switch is set for a clear main track to hold the switch-point J against the rail-section C, and yet it will be apparent that when a train passes from the siding into the main track the spring W will permit the switch-point J to move away from the rail-section C.

By reference to Fig. 1 it will beapparent that when the switch is set for a clear main track the connections between the rod T and the bell-crank lever L and the spur-gear R will be in a dead-center with the center of movement of the said spur-gear R and that the connections between the rod U and the switch-point J and the spur-gear R will be in a dead-center with the center of movement of the said spur-gear. From this it follows that the switch-stand is given increased strength to hold the rods M and U when the frog' G and the switch-pointJ are moved laterally against the action of the coiled springs by a train passing from the siding into the main track.

X is a plate of metal fixed to sleepers or ties and employed, by preference, as a support for the swinging portions of the points J and J Y is a spur-gear mounted at the outer side of the rail E of the siding and having an upwardly-extending portion Z, and A is a rackbar movable in a suitable guide B and intermeshed with the spur-gear Y and pivotally connected to the frog Gr. At this point I desire to say that suitable signals may be mounted upon the upwardly-extending portions of the spur-gears R and Y; but these signals I have deemed it unnecessary to illustrate, inasmuch as they form no part of my invention.

Any suitable means may be employed to turn the wheel R, and thereby position the frog G and the switch-points without involv ing a departure from the scope of my invention. I prefer, however, to employ the means illustrated, which comprises a vertically-swinging and weighted lever M having a horizontal shaft N and also having a pinion 1 fixed on the said shaft and intermeshed with the peripheral teeth of the wheel R. In virtue of this construction it will be apparent that when the switch is setfor a clear main track the lever M will rest in a horizontal position and extend in one direction from the shaft N, while when the frog and the switch-points are positioned to permit a train to pass from the main track into the siding or turnout the lever M will rest in a horizontal position, but will extend in the opposite direction from the shaft N.

It will be gathered from the foregoing that in addition to the practical advantages ascribed to my novel switch the same is simle com act and inex )ensive in construc- 1 tion and is well adapted to withstand the usage to which railway-switches are ordinarily subjected.

In the instalment of my novel switch those parts which are liable to be affected by the weather or by collections of dirt may be incased in any approved manner. I have deemed it unnecessary, however, to illustrate any means for inclosing parts of the switch, inasmuch as such means forms no part of my present invention.

I have entered into a detailed descrlption of the construction and relative arrangement of the parts embraced in the present and preferred embodiment of my invention in order to impart a definite understanding of the said embodiment. I do not desire, however, to be understood as confining myself to such specific construction and relative arrange-- ment of parts, as such changes or modifications may be made in practice as fairly fall within the scope of my invention as claimed.

Having described my invention, what I clalm, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a railway-switch, the combination of a horizontally-swinging bell-crank, a horizontal wheel, a laterally-movable frog having flanges at its under side, a laterally-movable switch-point having flanges at its under side, a rod connected to one arm of the bell-crank and having a shoulder at an intermediate point of its length and also having a toe en gaging that flange of the frog remote from the bell-crank, a rod movable with respect to the first-mention ed rod and having a toe for engaging the other flange of the frog and also having a shoulder, a spring surrounding the said rods and interposed between the shoulders thereof, a rod connecting the other arm of the bell-crank and the horizontal wheel and arranged when the frog is in one position to rest in a dead-center with the center of the wheel, a rod connected to the wheel off the center thereof and having a toe arranged to engage the flange of the switch-point remote from the wheel, a rod movable on said rod and having a toe engaging the other flange of the point and also having a shoulder, a coiled spring surrounding the said rods and interposed between the same; the said connection between the wheel and switch-point being adapted when. the point is in one position to rest in a dead-center with the center of the wheel, and suitable means for turning the wheel.

2. In a railway-switch, the combination of an unbroken main-track rail, sections of main-track rail arranged parallel to the unbroken rail, an outer siding or turnout rail merging into one of the said sections, an inner siding or turnout rail having its end arranged adjacent to the end of the other section, a horizontally-swinging frog pivoted at its heel adjacent to the end of the send rail-section and the end of the inner siding or turnout rail, switch-points pivoted together and arranged to swing horizontally between the unbroken main-track rail and the outer siding or turnout rail, and means for synchronously moving the frog and the said switch-points.

In a railway-switch, the combination of a fixed plate having side flanges, horizontallyswinging switch-points pivoted adjacent to their heels to the said plate, a horizontallyswinging frog pivoted adjacent to its heel and having its forward portion arranged on the plate and between the flanges thereof so as to swing from the heel of one point to the heel of the other, and means for synchronously moving the points and the frog,

4. In a railway-switch, the combination of a frog mounted to move laterally, a switchpoint mounted to move laterally, a horizontally-swinging bell-crank, a horizontal wheel, a connection between one arm of the bellcrank and the frog for positively moving the frog in one direction, means intermediate the said connection and the frog for yieldingly holding the frog against movement in the opposite dlrection and with respect to the said connection, a connection intermediate the wheel and the switch-point for positively moving the switch-point in one direction, means intermediate the said connection and the point for yieldingly holding the point against movement in the opposite direction and with respect to the connection; the said connection being arranged when the point is in one position to rest in a dead-center with the center of the wheel, and a rod connecting the wheel and the bell-crank and arranged when the frog is in one pos1tion to rest in a dead-center with the center of the wheel.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS M. PATTERSON, JOHN H. SMITH. 

